Assaying composition.



UNITED STATES PATENT. oFFIoE.

JOSEPHC. HAMES, OF GOLDFIELD, NEVADA.

-ASSAYING COMPOSITION.

No Drawing.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that L'Josnrn C. HAMES, a citizen of the United States, residing at Goldfield, in the county of Esmeralda and State of Nevada, have invented new and useful Improvements in Assaying Composition, of which the following is a specification.

My present invention pertains to assaying, and consists in eiticient compositions for use in thesalne. 4

In assaying for gold I take a definite quantity, say one-half assay ton, of pulp, and add to the same 17 parts of. a oomposition consisting of thefollowing ingredients. combined in substantially the proportions stated viz:

Gum camphor 1 part. Iodin crystals 20.786 parts. Patassium iodid 41.471 parts. \Vatcr 310. parts.

I find firom experinient'that the best results are obtained by adding to the pulp' 3 parts of the camphor, iodin and potassium iodid in a dry state, and 14 parts of water. in the order named. and then suitably stirring or agitating the mass.

To the solution from the assay described in the foregoing I add 3/4dram of sodium amalgam, this latter to precipitate gold, after which the metallic gold may be recovered in any of the well known ways extant.

The generic assaying process and the specific process of assaying for gold, hereinhcfore described, constitute the subject matter of my Letters-Patent No. 913,129.

In assaying for silver I practice the process described up to and including the addition of the gum camphor, iodin crystals and potassium iodid and the water to the pulp. I then add to the whole sodium cyanid corresponding in quantity to the pulp. Then I take the solution from said assay. and precipitate the silver on zinc shavings orwith zinc dust. With this done, the mass of zinc shavings or zinc dust is dissolved in nitric acid. As an indicator solution I use one part of. a suitable starch (preferably arrow root- Sp ecification of Letters Patent.

starch) to one-lnmdred parts of water. The

' Patented Nov. 2. 1909.

Application filed April 21, 1909. Serial N0.'491 .315.

starch and water aremixed cold, and the solution is let come to a boil and isboiled approximately'two minutes, and when cool is ready for use.

Experience has demonstrated that it is' best to add one part of the starch solution to about ten parts of thesilver nitrate solution. v

' In using a certain amount of 'ore pulp,

say one-fourth -(1/4) assay'ton, for each ounce ofsilver represented in a ton of ore it will-require one drop or about one-twentieth (1/20) of a cubic'centimeter of standard iodin solution to cause the silver nitrate solution to take on a blue color. Different waters have different effects on result-s and there;

hyposultite is used to cause the solution to become alkaline.

The specific process of assaying for silver constitutes the subject matter of my contemporary application, of even date herewith, Serial. Number 491,314.

Having described my invention, what I claim and desire to secure by Letters-Patent is:

l. A composition of matter for the purpose described, eon'iprising 'camphor. iodin and potassium iodid.

2. A composition of matter for the purpose described, comprising gum camphor 1 part, iodin crystals 20.736 parts, potassium iodid 41.471 parts, and water 310. parts.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand in presence. of two subscribing witnesses.

JOSEPH HAMES.

\Vitnesses: C. 0. Forum, LILLIE B. ANDREWS. 

